Thread guide and clearer.



L. T. HOUGHTON.

THREAD GUIDE AND GLEARER.

APPLICATION FILED 001". 12, 1001.

1,039,285. Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

LEWIS T. HOUGHTON, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD GUIDE AND CLEARER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

Application filed October 12, 1907. Serial No. 397,122.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS T. HoUGH'roN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Thread Guides andClearers, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawingrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to thread-guides and clearers for spoolingmachines, and it has for its objects to provide a novel construction bywhich the jaws of the thread guide can be quickly and easily cleanedfrom any lint which accumulates thereon, and also to provide a novel wayof adjusting the jaws toward and from each other to secure the desiredwidth of thread-receiving slot between the jaws. Since the object of theclearer when in use is to act on and remove motes, bunches, etc., fromthe yarn as it is being spooled, it necessarily follows that the jaws ofthe clearer become clogged with lint and other impurities after acomparatively short time. Where the two jaws are rigidly and immovablysecured together as is the case in may types of clearers, it is asomewhat difficult operation to properly clean them from the lint whichhas gathered thereon.- In order to permit the ready clearing of thejaws, I have, in my present embodiment, pivotally mounted one of thejaws to turn about an axis perpendicular to the other jaw, so that thepivoted jaw may be swung away from the other jaw to permit the lint tobe readily wiped from both jaws. The pivoted jaw is also acted on by asuitable spring which tends to force it away from the fixed Fig. 1; Fig.4 is a view similar to Fig. 1

showing a different embodiment of my in ventlon; Flg. 5 1s a top planView of Fig. 4. The thread-guide herein shown comprises,

as usual, a fixed jaw 3 and a cooperating jaw 4. The fixed jaw hasextending therei from the two clamping feet '5 and 6 which are adaptedto embrace the supporting rod 7 which forms part of the spooler, and onwhich the thread-guides are usually sustained, said feet being clampedto the rod by means of a clamping screw 8. These feet are preferablymade of sheet metal pressed into shape and each is substantially U-shapein cross section, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, wherein the foot 5 isshown in cross section. The side flanges of each foot are extended toform toes which extend through apertures formed in the jaw 3, as clearlyseen in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. These toes are curved slightly so that afterthey are inserted through the openings in the jaw and the feet arebrought together in position to clamp about the rod 7, the jaw will beheld on the feet. The jaw 3 constitutes the fixed jaw of thethread-guide, and the two jaws form between them the thread-receivinggroove 9 through which the thread 10 passes, all as usual. The jaw 4 ispivotally mounted to turn about an axis at right angles to thethread-receiving groove 9, thus permitting said jaw 4 to be swung out ofline with the jaw 3, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 3, thereby carryingthe edges 11 and 12 of said jaws away from each other, so that any lintwhich accumulates on said jaws can be readily wiped therefrom. The jaw 4may be sustained in various ways to permit this swinging movementthereof. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the jaw 4 is carried by a pivotal pin 13which is journaled in bearings 14 carried by the fixed jaw 3, said pinpreferably being headed at its lower end, as at 15, to prevent its beingwithdrawn from the bearings. Said pivotal pin also extends through ears16 formed on the jaw 4, and the upper end of the pin is threaded and hasapplied thereto an adjusting nut 17 a washer 18 preferably beingconfined between the nut 17 and the top flange 16. A spring 19 surroundsthe pin 13 and is confined between the lower bearing 14 and the upperflange 16, said spring serving to hold the jaws separated as far aspermitted by the position of the nut 17. The width of thetlu-ead-receiving groove 9 can thus be adjusted by screwing the nut 17up or down on the pin 13. In the embodiment of the invention shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, the spring 19 also acts normally to keep the pivotedjaw 4 in line with the fixed jaw 3, and for this purpose one end 20 ofsaid spring is arranged to bear against the fixed jaw 3 and the otherend 21 of said spring being connected to the pivoted jaw 4, while thetwo ends of the spring are coiled in opposite directions about thepivotal rod, and at the central portion the spring is bent, as at 22, toengage the edges 11 and 12. The spring is wound about the pivotal rod insuch a way that the tension thereof holds the part 22 against the edges11 and 12 and thus normally maintains the pivoted jaw in operativeposition, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the pivoted jaw 4 is swunginto the dotted line position Fig. 3, however, the edge 12 of said jaw,by engagement with the part 22 of the spring, places the spring undergreater tension so that as soon as the jaw is released, the spring willreturn said jaw to its initial position. The pivoted jaw 4 is providedwith the lip 24 which when the two jaws are in alinement with eachother, e11- gages an arm 25 extending upwardly from the fixed jaw, asshown in full lines Fig. 3, said lip serving as a stop for the pivotedIn the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the pivoted jaw 4 is mountedto turn in the opposite direction from that shown in Fig. 3, or awayfrom the supporting rod 7, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 5. In thisembodiment said jaw is also mounted on the pivotal pin 13, which isrotatably supported in bearings 14 carried by the fixed jaw and passesthrough bearings 16 formed on the pivoted jaw. The lower end of said rod13 is headed at 15 and the upper end has applied thereto the clampingnut 17, all as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

A spring 19 is also coiled about the pivotal pin 13, one end of saidspring bearing against the fixed jaw 3 and also against the' lowerbearing 14 thereof, and the other end of said spring engaging and beingconnected to the upper bearing 16 of the pivoted jaw 4, whereby thespring holds the jaws separated as far as permitted by the stop nut 17.In this embodiment, however, the pivoted aw 4 is provided with a lip 24which is situated on the inside of the arm 25, as shown in Fig. 5, saidlip limiting the swinging movement of the jaw 4 toward the supportingrod 7. Said jaw is normally held in its operative position by means of asuitable spring-pressed catch 26, which is adapted to engage the lip 24and lock the jaw against movement. This catch is shown as having a pin27 projecting therefrom by which it may be released from the lip 24 whenit is desired to swing the jaw 4 int-o the dotted line position forcleaning the edges 11 and 12 of said jaws.

In both the embodiments herein shown, both the jaws 3 and 4 and the feet5 and 6 are made of sheet metal pressed or stamped into shape, and Iprefer this construction because it makes a very light article. lVherethe jaws are made in this way, the sheet metal is bent at the edges ofthe jaws to form flanges30, which flanges may be increased in width atthe points 14, 16 to form the bearings for the pivotal pin 13.

I have not attempted to illustrate herein all embodiments of myinvention, but have simply described two of the preferred embodiments.

Having described my invent-ion, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. A thread guide and clearer comprising two jawsforming between them a threadreceiving groove, one of said jaws beingpivotally mounted to turn about an axis at right angles to said groove,and a spring tending normally both to hold said jaws separated and tohold the pivoted jaw in line with the fixed jaw.

2. In a thread guide, the combination with a fixed aw having athread-guiding edge, of a pivotal pin supported by said jaw andextending upwardly therefrom, a pivoted jaw sustained by said pivotalpin, said pivoted jaw having two arms, one on its top and the other onits bottom edge through which the pivotal pin extends, and a springencircling said pin and engaging the upper arm of the pivoted jaw andtending to hold the pivoted jaw in its normal position and to separatesaid jaws, said pivoted jaw being provided with astop projecting beyondthe pivotal pin for engagement with the fixed jaw to limit the swingingmovement of the pivoted jaw.

3. In a thread guide, the combination with a fixed jaw having athread-guiding edge. of a pivotal pin supported by said jaw andextending upwardly therefrom, a pivoted jaw sustained by said pin, aspring encircling said pin and tending normally both to hold said jawsseparated and to hold the pivoted jaw in alinement with the fixed jaw,said pivoted jaw having a stop projecting beyond the pivotal pin andadapted to engage the fixed jaw to limit the swinging movement of thepivoted aw.

4. In a thread-guide and clearer, the combination with a fixed jawhaving a threadguiding edge, of a pivotal pin journaled in said jaw andextending at right angles to said edge, a pivoted jaw mounted on saidpin, said pin having an adjusting nut for adjusting the width of thethread-receiving groove between the jaws, and a spring encircling saidpin and acting .on the jaws to yieldingly hold them separated to theextent determined by the position of the adjusting nut.

5. In a thread guide, the combination with two jaws, of two clampingfeet, both of which have projections extending through apertures in oneof the jaws and which are adapted to embrace a supporting rod, and aclaimping screw to clamp the feet about the r0 6. In a thread guide, thecombination with two connected jaws between which the thread is adaptedto pass, of two clamping feet each having curved toes 60 extendingthrough apertures in one of the jaws, and a clamping screw to clamp saidfeet together about a supporting rod.

7. In a thread guide, the combination with two jaws, each having alateral flange at both its top and bottom edge, of a pivotal pinextending through all of said flanges, a

- spring encircling said pin for its full length,

part'of said spring being bent into U-shape to engage the adjacentflanges of the two jaws.

8. In a thread guide, the combination with two jaws, of two clampingfeet, both of which have two projections extending through apertures inone of the jaws with the projections on one foot curved oppositely tothose on the other foot, said feet being adapted to embrace a supportingrod, and means to clamp the feet about said rod.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS T. HOUGI-ITON.

\Vitnesses:

LoUIs C. SMITH, Bnnrrm I HnUsER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G."

